"The...the moustache..."
By MrAnderson92
I walked through the forest, trying to find an clearing with enough room for me to learn to fly. Unfortunately, since it was in fact a forest, I couldn't see the clearing for the trees. Well that's obvious you idiot, if there weren't any trees then you would already be IN the clearing! I know that! Shut up!
After an indeterminable amount of time, I was still surrounded by trees. I started running, as fast as I could, in some random direction, searching for some bit of sky so I could at least try and determine the time of day. But everything seemed to be for naught, as the part of the forest I was in was so dense that no amount of sunlight (or moonlight, depending on what time it was) could show through. I finally stopped, panting for breath, and sat down against a nearby tree. I guess I'll just have to try to learn to fly without a large open space...Makes you regret coming into this damn forest huh? Yes, indeed it does.
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"Yeah Twilight, I guess I could help you out," Rainbow Dash said shrugging, "what's up?"
"Well, I wanted to ask you for some advice..." Twilight trailed off, an embarrassed look on her face.
"Really? YOU came to ME for advice?" Rainbow asked incredulously, "Why me? Why not Rarity or one of the others?"
"Well...it has to do with Cloud." Twilight said, looking Rainbow Dash in the eyes, "And Applejack said if I was asking for advice about him I should ask you."
"Oh." Rainbow said, suddenly looking rather unsociable, "What advice could I possibly give you about him?"
"Well, Cloud and I have a date tomorrow, and I'm just not sure if-"
"Whaddaya mean YOU have a date with him??"
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Whump! Ow...Indeed. That one hurt a bit more than others. I think I'm getting the hang of it though...Oh please. Don't even try to fool yourself. That was horrid and you know it. Yeah...it was...Remember what Fluttershy said. You have to feel it inside you.
I picked myself off the ground for what must've been the one hundreth time and looked up at the tree I kept climbing for altitude. This isn't working! No it isn't. Maybe we should start smaller. Smaller?? I'm somehow managing to mess up GLIDING TO THE GROUND! How much simpler can you get?? Maybe we should try just hovering. Right here, hovering a foot above the ground. Simple enough for you? Don't try and challenge me...I'm you. You can't goad yourself into a challenge. Ah...so deep down we're just a chicken, or a Scootaloo, as that little Apple Bloom would say. I am no chicken! Says the guy who won't try and hover a measly 12 inches above the ground. Fine! I'll show you...myself...whatever!
I put on my game face, and extending my wings to their full wingspan. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to find my inner focus, but whenever I closed my eyes I began to think of Rainbow and Twilight, and my heart would start to beat faster, knowing that at literally ANY time now (I never did find out what time it was), they could find out about my diabolical double date and start to hate me!
Stop it. Focus on what you know. You are Cloud Runner. Live up to your name.
I felt my heartbeat slow as I began concentrating on the absolutes in my life, however few they may be. As I started to flap my wings, I felt a strange sense of calm come over me as a sudden realization struck me. Twilight and Rainbow don't matter right now. If I don't learn to fly then I will probably die here. I HAVE to do this.
I began to flap my wings harder, feeling my wings begin to take the weight of my slim flier's body. I grinned, knowing that with my calm realization about my possible demise, I had found what I had been missing: True determination. But it wasn't from trying to save my own life. It came from the decision I had made before I found out I was lost. Rainbow Dash and Twilight deserved an explanation, and I wasn't planning on going anywhere until I gave them one.
I laughed triumphantly as I noticed I was a FEW dozen inches in the air, not noticing my increasing height due to my concentrating. Well well well...looks like I showed...um...myself? Indeed you did. Pat on the back time. Just don't fall again.
I laughed again as I glided towards the ground and pulled up, flapping my wings increasingly harder as I soared towards the branches above me. With the practiced aeronautical acrobatics of one who had been doing this all their life, I twisted and turned between the branches, using them as my own makeshift obstacle course, before I closed my wings and dove at the ground.
Aaaaaaand...now! I opened my wings and pulled up at the last second, closing them again as I pulled off a backflip and landed on all four hooves. Now THAT'S how we do it where I come from! Wherever that is. ...Touché.
I took off from the ground again, going much faster than last time, trying to find an opening in the treetops. With my new point of view, finding an opening to get out was much easier than I could have hoped, and before I knew it I was speeding out into fading daylight. Oh Goddess! How long was I in there?? Well I think it's doubtful that you were in there for more than a day, so this is probably the evening of the night you scheduled your dates with Twilight and Rainbow. I hope I'm right..
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"STALLION-STEALER!"
"COLT CLIPPER!"
"HE ASKED ME OUT FIRST!"
"AND THEN HE ASKED ME OUT! WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT HOW HE FEELS ABOUT YOU?!"
"HE'D MUCH RATHER BE WITH ME THAN WITH AN EGGHEAD LIKE YOU!"
"THEN WHY WOULD HE AGREE TO MOVE IN WITH ME?!"
"BECAUSE HE HAD NOWHERE ELSE TO LIVE!"
"WELL I'M SURPRISED YOU DIDN'T OFFER YOUR OWN BED WITH YOURSELF AS A COMPLIMENTARY BLANKET!"
"AND WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"
"IT MEANS EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MEANS! YOU CAN'T KEEP YOUR HOOVES OFF CLOUD!"
"WELL HE CERTAINLY DIDN'T KEEP HIS HOOVES OFF OF ME EITHER!"
"AND YOU THINK HE JUST LAID MOTIONLESS AS I KISSED HIM?!"
"AT LEAST MY KISSING DIDN'T MAKE HIM LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS!"
"WHEN I KISSED HIM I BROUGHT BACK A PART OF HIMSELF! YOU CAN'T SAY THAT ABOUT YOUR KISSING!"
"MY KISSING TOOK HIS BREATH AWAY!"
"Um....girls?"
"AT LEAST I DIDN'T HAVE TO TRY AND SEDUCE HIM TO GET HIM TO KISS ME!"
"NO, ALL YOU DID WAS TACKLE HIM TO THE GROUND!"
"G-girls? I really don't think-"
"WHY DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD GET CLOUD??"
"BECAUSE HE ASKED ME OUT FIRST!"
"BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW I WANTED TO GO OUT WITH HIM THEN!"
"YOU JUST SAID THAT YOU WEREN'T SURE IF YOU WERE READY FOR A ROMANTIC SETTING WITH CLOUD! YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE TWILIGHT!"
"GIRLS!!!"
Twilight and Rainbow Dash backed down from their intense argument and looked in shock at their usually timid, soft-spoken friend.
"That's better," Fluttershy said, an intense glare in her eyes as she stared down her longtime friends, "now I know you two are arguing about Cloud, and over who deserves to get him. But he isn't a prize! He's a pony, just like us! He's quite capable of making his OWN decisions in life, especially over whom he loves!"
"Yo-you're right Fluttershy," Twilight said begrudgingly, as Rainbow muttered her agreement, "the only pony who can truly decide this is Cloud himself. We have to find him."
"Yeah, and kick his tail for making dates with both of us and not bothering to cancel either one!" Rainbow said angrily.
"Now Rainbow, do you really think Cloud would try to play both you and Twilight?" Fluttershy asked in a calming voice.
"I don't know! And you know what else? NOPONY ELSE KNOWS EITHER!" Rainbow shouted, tears beginning to form in her eyes as the argument over this mysterious colt continued, "Not even Cloud himself! He might've just had his fun with us and moved on! Why did we trust him??"
"DO YOU REALLY THINK CLOUD WOULD DO THAT TO US?" Twilight shouted up at Rainbow Dash, who was flying agitatedly around Sugarcube Corner, "WHAT HAPPENED TO LOYALTY?"
"OH DON'T ACT LIKE YOU WEREN'T THINKING THE SAME THING!" Rainbow shouted back, flying down into Twilight's face, "YOU'RE JUST AS SCARED AS I AM THAT HE DOESN'T REALLY HAVE FEELINGS FOR YOU!" She yelled, tears flowing freely down her face, "We're both foals Twilight. Simple naive foals."
"Yes Rainbow," Twilight said, trying to keep her voice level, "that thought did cross my mind. But I truly believe that Cloud is a meaningful colt. He wouldn't do that to either of us."
"Then we're both even bigger foals than I thought before," Rainbow said angrily, beginning to fly towards the door, "because I believe that too."
"Wh-where are you going Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked, worried about her friend's current emotional state.
"I'm going to find Cloud, and I'm going to get some answers." She stated firmly, glancing back towards her two friends, "Are you coming with me?"
"Yes," Twilight replied, walking over to the door, "Cloud should be over at the library by now. We can question him there."
"I-I think I'll stay here and help Pinkie clean up this mess..." Fluttershy said quietly, wondering just where exactly the pink party pony had gone.
"Alright then," Rainbow said as she and Twilight left Sugarcube Corner, "let's go."
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I was back beneath the treetops, zooming through the branches as fast as I dared, pure adrenaline flowing through my blood as time after time I narrowly missed branches with my inuitive flying abilities. Damn...Fluttershy was right! I AM good at this!
Soon though, it got too dark underneath the treetops to fly, so I flew back up into the night sky, heading for a river that marked the midway point to my journey back to Ponyville. Oh man...it's really getting late...Yes it is. Maybe Twilight's getting worried? Maybe she'll try to find you, enlisting the help of some of her friends? SHUT UP! I should be back before anything too extreme happens...
"OH MY GOODNESS! WHY MUST THIS HAPPEN TO MEEEE?"
WHAT THE HAY IS THAT??
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"SPIKE!" Twilight yelled as she and Rainbow Dash burst into the library.
"What is it Twilight?!" Spike exclaimed, greatly scared at the expressions on the two mares' faces.
"Nothing important pipsqueak!" Rainbow Dash said angrily, "Just tell us where Cloud is!"
"Cl-Cloud?" Spike said, confused, "Um, he's not here. I haven't seen him all day!"
"Great. Just great." Rainbow snarled, turning to Twilight, "I thought you said he'd be here!"
"He should've been!" Twilight spat back, "I don't know where else he could be at this time!"
"Um, if I may intervene here," Spike piped up, "I believe Rarity said something about making a suit for Cloud. I, uh, just happened to pass her by earlier today." He finished hurredly, a blush quickly forming on his cheeks.
"He must still be at Rarity's!" Twilight and Rainbow said simultaneously, "We have to hurry!"
And off they sped, leaving one very confused baby dragon in their wake.
"Cloud. Is. Going. To. Get. It." Rainbow Dash spat as she and Twilight sped toward the Carousel Boutique.
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Holy Mother of Celestia WHAT IS THAT THING??
I frantically swerved to avoid being hit by some rampaging river beast, who was writhing in what was either extreme rage or extreme agony, and flew straight back into the treetops.
It's too dark! I can't see! I CAN'T S- CRASH!
Antagonizing pain lurched through my body. I was rendered unable to scream as the breath is ripped from my lungs as I tumbled through the branches to the forest floor below.
WHUMP!
G-goddess...that thing...what was it's problem?? I must say that beast, whatever it was, did have one fabulous moustache...or at least half of one... Please shut up...
Clop...clop...clop...clop
"Well well well you clumsy colt, into the ground you crashed you dolt!"
Who said that?? I snapped my head around, trying to locate the source of the mysterious voice, but the sudden movement proved to much for my injured body, and I collapsed back on the ground.
"It seems you have suffered great injury, I must ask that you let me see!"
I nodded my head dumbly, feeling darkness beginning to envelop me. But before it wrapped me in it's warm embrace, I summoned the strength to mutter one last thing.
"The...the moustache..."
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A/N: Hoo boy! I felt good writing this chapter, I think I captured the intensity I was trying to display between Rainbow Dash and Twilight! And our hero just can't seem to catch a lucky break can he? Hahaha, just wait! There's alot more to come before Cloud's story is finished!